I was sound asleep when a ding against my window woke me. The sound was familiar. I was excited, but scared. He shouldn't be here.

Another pebble hit the window, signaling me to answer. I reached the window, opened it, and looked down. Daniel was half-way up the lattice in our marigold garden.

He was close enough to my second story window to hear my hissing whisper. "You can't keep coming over here like this."

In his usual dirty overalls, he half shrugged. "Holly, I barely get to see you anymore. You ain't allowed to go anywhere so I have to come here."

Even since ma left, dad only lets me leave home every once in a blue moon. He don't like me seeing Daniel either. "Remember what happened last time my dad caught you here?"

"If it was my dad, he wouldn't have cared. We're 19."

"Your dad is different."

"Yeah, he ain't controlling and don't treat me like a prisoner." Under the moonlight, his eyes filled with love. "My dad also... gave me some interesting news."

My brown hair blew in the breeze. It's usually in a braid, but I take it out when I sleep. "Interesting news?"

"He is gonna let me run his farm upstate. It will basically be mine," he said, smiling.

Upstate? That means Daniel would be leaving. "Oh."

"Holly, I want you to come with me. We could be together, run the farm, have that future we always talked about."

I shook my head. "I can't just leave. My dad and me are the only family we got." Except for my criminal uncle across the hall.

"It wouldn't be that far away. Just a few hours north of here. You would still be family. We would visit."

Daniel's offer was exciting. It was something I wanted. I wanted to feel like an adult, I wanted out, and I always day-dreamed about having a life with Daniel. Thinking those things though made me feel very guilty. It's a sin to be selfish and it's a sin to be greedy.

"I can't," I whispered.

"If it's something you want, if your dad loves you and wants you to be happy, he will understand."

"He wouldn't understand. He would think I'm leaving just like mom."

"Yeah but unlike your mom, you would give him warning. You would visit. There is no betrayal there." He sighed. "Just think about it, okay? I am leaving in two weeks so you have some time. Will you please think about it?"

"I'll think about it. No promises."

My feelings for him made me anxious and excited by the idea of going with him. My guilt over leaving my father wanted to drown me. And with the reminder that Uncle Curtis here, it was hard to go back to sleep after Daniel left for the night.

The next day, it was just me and Uncle Curtis. I gave him fresh bandages after cleaning the wound again. He didn't look good. He was pale, the wound was puffy, and he was sluggish. That didn't stop him though from insisting he spend the day outside.

While I was chopping wood behind the house, he was sitting in a lawn chair, wearing my dad's clothes. They were tight on him. He was admiring the trees. He looked even worse under the sun. I couldn't stop staring at how weak and pale he looked.

After cutting another log, I turned to him in concern. "Uncle Cutis?"

He rolled his bloodshot eyes. "What?"

"Would you feel better in the house? I know you want to be out here, but it's really warm outside and—"

"I don't give a rat's ass. You try being locked up without the sun, breeze, outside air, and not take an opportunity to enjoy it when you can."

I continued chopping wood. The red scarf fluttered in the breeze. This one was one of mom's favorites.

I tried ignoring Uncle Curtis, but he started coughing. It made his whole body heave. "Uncle Curtis?"

He whipped his head in my direction. "Can't I enjoy the fucking day without listening to you blab?!"

Wiping sweat from my forehead, I dropped my axe. I didn't wanna make him mad. I was scared to make him mad. But I was also scared for his health. "I'm sorry. You just look awful. I don't know, maybe you should go to the hospital. I'll at least get you some water."

"Jesus, I'll be fine," he coughed.

"Yeah but if you went to a hospital, they could treat you better."

"They sure fucking could," he said, laughing over his cough. "It's a good thing you're not in charge of me. Dumbass."

I cringed at his words. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but I bothered him enough. I got him a cup of water, then I went back to chopping wood. Daydreaming about my possible future far from this place helped distract me from his coughing.